“The
Chinese were placed under an “assimilation” policy throughout
the
33 years of the New Order era from 1966 to 1998. This policy
banned
the expression of Chinese language and culture in the public
sphere.
Chinese New Year was only allowed to be celebrated in the
private
domain and all Chinese-medium schools were closed.

Held 11 days before
Chinese New Year, the mood was festive and many women wore qipao
(traditional Chinese dresses), whereas the men were dressed
either in
suits or batik. Aside from the upcoming Chinese New Year, the
organization has much to celebrate. It is now a widely respected
mass
organization with membership numbering in the tens of thousands,
spread over 280 branches across the country’s 30 provinces. The
organization has also come a long way since its inception during
the
aftermath of the May 1998 tragedy in Jakarta, when many
Chinese-Indonesians experienced various miseries as they became
the
targets of angry masses.

The Chinese were placed under
an “assimilation” policy throughout the 33 years of the New
Order
era from 1966 to 1998. This policy banned the expression of
Chinese
language and culture in the public sphere. Chinese New Year was
only
allowed to be celebrated in the private domain and all
Chinese-medium
schools were closed.

While the restrictions may have been
seen as a way to deflect unwanted attention from members of the
Chinese community, many of those who became the victims of
violence
during the 1965 coup attempt blamed the Indonesian Communist
Party
(PKI), so the policy also reflected widespread government
suspicion
regarding the Chinese community’s role in the uprising.

The
Chinese dutifully closed their schools and organizations, except
for
funeral homes and religious associations. Most chose to stay out
of
the political spotlight and concentrated on the one area in
which
they were allowed to be involved — the economy.

Therefore,
despite the restrictions, which caused a whole generation of
Chinese-Indonesians to experience a loss of Chinese language and
culture, many of them flourished in the economic realm.
Nonetheless,
they again became scapegoats during the Asian monetary crisis of
1997
and the downfall of the Soeharto regime in May 1998.

Noted
sociologist Mely G. Tan observed that the 1998 riots jolted the
Chinese out of their compliance and precipitated the founding of
mass
organizations such as PSMTI and the Indonesian Chinese
Association
(INTI), which aimed to combat all sorts of discrimination. When
the
discriminatory policies against Chinese language and culture
were
lifted, these organizations shifted their focus to help fellow
Indonesians in times of need — especially those affected by
natural
disasters.

Other organizations based on common dialect
groups, such as the Fu Qing and Hakka associations, have also
contributed huge amounts of funding to the building of schools
for
non-Chinese children. The PSMTI and INTI, for example, have
pooled
resources to provide disaster aid to victims of earthquakes,
volcanic
eruptions and the recent flooding.

Contrary to the prevailing
belief that Chinese-Indonesian organizations only attract the
older
generations, the youth wings of these organizations often
initiate
the efforts to distribute help and basic necessities to the
needy. At
the time of writing, PSMTI volunteers were channeling resources
to
help flood victims all over Indonesia, especially in locations
with
large numbers of disadvantaged people such as Tangerang,
Banten.

These examples are necessary to debunk the stereotype
that the Chinese are exclusive. At the installation of the new
PSMTI
leaders, Ahok reminded members to continue contributing to their
country. Known as a straight-shooter who does not mince words,
Ahok
also stated that Chinese-Indonesians who hope to win a place as
legislators in the upcoming elections must not count on winning
based
on the support of their ethnic community, nor on policies that
benefit the Chinese.

They should, instead, focus on putting
together a political agenda that will benefit all Indonesians.
Coming
from the first ethnic Chinese person to become a deputy governor
of
Jakarta, this is a wise piece of advice.

As the nation
celebrates Chinese New Year on Jan. 31, we must be mindful of
our
country’s multicultural, multifaceted sociological make-up,
framed
by our understanding and appreciation of our historical past, as
well
as what our founding fathers have long recognized as Bhinneka
Tunggal
Ika (Unity in Diversity).

<The writer lectures on
Cultural Studies and Communications at the University of
Indonesia.
She also writes on and researches various facets of the ethnic
Chinese population in Indonesia. Her current research topic
focuses
on Chinese-Indonesians’ political activism.>